Thelma Plum, Julia Jacklin, King Stingray And More Compete for APRA’s Song of the Year
Thelma Plum, Julia Jacklin, Baker Boy and King Stingray are among the contenders for song of the year, the top prize at the 2023 APRA Music Awards.
Among the nominees this year are Courtney Barnett, Daniel Johns, the late Archie Roach, plus Flume and Sarah Aarons, Sampa the Great and Denzel Curry, Budjerah and Ainslie Wills, and Powderfinger great Bernard Fanning.
The International Convention & Exhibition Centre (ICC), venue for the 2021 edition, will once again host the APRAs, which today (Jan. 25) unveils the 20 candidates for the coveted song of the year category.
Also, the likes of Donny Benet, Antony Partos, Matteo Zingales, Jono Ma, Lara Andallo, Willie Tafa and Maxwell Bidstrup appear on the shortlist for the first time.
The Kid Laroi won the trophy last year in Melbourne with “Stay,” his record-setting Billboard Hot 100 and ARIA Singles Chart leader.
The Kid is back in the hunt, with a nod this time for “Thousand Miles,” co-written with Louis Bell, Billy Walsh and Andrew Watt, and published by Sony Music Publishing, Universal/MCA Music Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing.
The top 20 contenders are nominated by APRA songwriter and publisher members in what the PRO calls this country’s only peer-recognised accolade of its kind, and highest achievement.
Those who took the time to cast a vote are automatically placed in a draw to win cash prizes totaling $5,000, courtesy of entertainment insurance specialist Marsh.
The final five nominees across all APRAs categories will be revealed in late March, according to the PRO.
The 2023 APRA Music Awards will take place April 27.
First presented in 1982, the APRA Music Awards celebrate excellence in contemporary music, honouring songwriters and publishers that have achieved artistic excellence and outstanding success in their fields.
Harley Streten (Flume) and Dean Ormston
In an op-ed for The Music Network, APRA CEO Dean Ormston highlighted the music industry’s economic impact, and singled out its collective of songwriters and composers for praise — just days out from the federal government’s publication of its national cultural policy.
“The next ten years will be critical if Australia is to realise future job creation and build skills in music,” he explained, “one of the fastest growing global industries at the forefront of cultural expression, community building, innovation, and economic growth.”
Check out full list of APRA song of the year nominees below:
Title: Backseat of My Mind
Artist: Thelma Plum
Writers: Thelma Plum* / Alexander Burnett / Oliver Horton
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing*
Title: Clarity
Artist: Vance Joy
Writers: Vance Joy / Joel Little*
Publishers: Mushroom Music obo UNIFIED Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing*
Title: Complete Mess
Artist: 5 Seconds of Summer
Writers: Michael Clifford / Luke Hemmings / Calum Hood / Ashton Irwin
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: Edge of Something
Artist: Missy Higgins
Writers: Missy Higgins / Antony Partos* / Matteo Zingales*
Publishers: Mushroom Music / Sonar Music*
Title: GTFO
Artist: Genesis Owusu
Writers: Genesis Owusu* / Michael Di Francesco^ / Andrew Klippel+ / Jono Ma
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Ourness Songs* / Kobalt Music Publishing obo Future Classic^ / Mushroom Music obo Ourness Songs+
Title: Headphones
Artist: Baker Boy
Writers: Baker Boy / Lara Andallo / Willie Tafa / Dallas Woods*
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing*
Title: I Feel Electric
Artist: Daniel Johns
Writers: Daniel Johns* / Laura Raia / Maxwell Bidstrup^ / Mark Landon
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing* / BMG^
Title: If I Don’t Hear from You Tonight
Artist: Courtney Barnett
Writer: Courtney Barnett
Publisher: Concord Music Publishing
Title: Lane
Artist: Sampa the Great feat. Denzel Curry
Writers: Sampa the Great* / Denzel Curry / Jeff Kleinman^ / Samuel Masta / Solomon Moyo / Powers Pleasant+ / Mason Sacks+
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing* / Universal/MCA Music Publishing^ / Sony Music Publishing+
Title: Le Piano
Artist: Donny Benet
Writer: Donny Benet
Publisher: Embassy Music Publishing
Title: Lunchtime
Artist: Spacey Jane
Writers: Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu / Caleb Harper / Kieran Lama / Peppa Lane
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Dew Process
Title: Lupa
Artist: King Stingray
Writer: Gotjiringu Jerome Yunupingu
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: Lydia Wears a Cross
Artist: Julia Jacklin
Writer: Julia Jacklin
Publisher: Mushroom Music
Title: Magenta Mountain
Artist: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Writers: Ambrose Kenny-Smith / Stu Mackenzie / Joey Walker
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing
Title: One Song
Artist: Archie Roach
Writer: Archie Roach
Publisher: Mushroom Music
Title: Ready for The Sky
Artist: Budjerah
Writer: Budjerah / Ainslie Wills*
Publishers: Mushroom Music / Sony Music Publishing*
Title: Rising Seas
Artist: Midnight Oil
Writers: Jim Moginie
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: Say Nothing (feat. MAY-A)
Artist: Flume
Writers: Flume* / Sarah Aarons
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing* / Sony Music Publishing
Title: Thousand Miles
Artist: The Kid LAROI
Writers: The Kid LAROI* / Louis Bell# / Billy Walsh# / Andrew Watt^
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing* / Universal/MCA Music Publishing# / Kobalt Music
Publishing^
Title: Wish You Well ft Bernard Fanning
Artist: Baker Boy & Bernard Fanning
Writers: Baker Boy / Bernard Fanning* / Pip Norman^
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing* / Mushroom Music^